Friday
Woke up early for work, but decided to work from home since I wasn’t feeling all that great. During the day, I get a lot of phone calls and lots of e-mail to review and go through. There were so many interuptions that I never got a chance to complete any of my tasks. Thought to go to Copenhagen on Saturday, but I decided that I could put the money to better purposes, so I decided that I would stay in Stockholm the entire weekend. Besides, I will be partying in New Orleans for Maha’s wedding next week. And the following week I will party with Steve in Atlanta. So all around, I am pretty happy to stay in Stockholm.

Went out wth Caroline last night, as Rob was in the UK and Robin was in Germany. We had a really nice time, and I took her to some clubs that she has never been to before.

I got home around 03.30. I didn’t get to bed until 06.00. I just really couldn’t sleep.

Saturday
Woke up around 12pm. Decided to be leisurely and ginger about the day. After showering, I got a SMS from Forex (the currency x-change shop) that my order was ready to be picked up. Before heading out, I decided that I would also make a shopping list for the grocery store and pick the things up on my way back from Forex. I also decided that I would make a quick stop into the Systembolaget (the state-owned alcohol and spirit stores) to get two more bottles of red wine and a bottle of champagne. However, when I got to the Systembolaget on Vasagatan, the line was out the door and the estimated was that there were 300 people waiting in line. And since in Sweden, the only allow the Systembolagets to be open until 15.00, I didn’t want to wait because I was just looking to fill out my personal bar — I am not on short stock of anything. So I stopped into the Forex at the Centralstation, and some quick and efficient service took place. Stopped by Lush to pick up some supplies, and decided to just head back home. On the way home, got really hungry, stopped by McDonalds, decided that I needed to read and respond to LJ posts before I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, cleaning the apartment, and doing some preliminary packing for my trip home next week.

Caroline also called. She plans to make it a cozy night in. I will be out on my own tonight. Well, not exactly. A couple of other friends have asked what I am doing tonight, but I am not committing to anything.

Well, will update later. Sorry for not posting more publically….I will make a better effort at that.

Today I have come to realise that in some cases, Sweden is really ahead of the world. While in other cases, Sweden is very much behind.

An example where they are ahead is that today, I arranged for currency exchange (from Swedish Crowns to USD) over the internet, and the transfer of funds was completed entirely using the internet. They will even call me when my currency is ready to be picked up. That’s fucking cool. And while internet banking is relatively new in the US, it’s been around in Sweden for a long time. And virtually (like 99%) of all companies have the ability to be paid electronically directly from your bank account. Again, pretty damn amazing.

An example of where they are behind is the way they dispense alcohol to the masses. They have this concept called Systembolaget, which basically is the the state-owned and run distribution system for alcohol and spirits of all types. In most of the systembolagets, you stand in queue like you’re waiting for free government cheese (is waiting in line for government cheese just a US thing?). Very communist. And the system is set up that way because everyone in Sweden is convinced that it is good for them. Yet I have a personal bar in my apartment that is as well equipped as the regular watering hole you’d find in your local neighborhood. 34 distinct types of alcohol, 25 bottles of wine, and 3 different champagnes, and sparkling wine.

Well, make that 24. Right now I am enjoying the entire bottle of 1995 french chardonnary that i got in 1999 while on a trip through the wine country during a weekend excursion during my time in audit.

Bye for now. Caroline and I are going for drinks and nibbly things at Eken, and then someplace trendy for dinner. I have to take some time so that I look and smell better than I do now. Have to impress the cuties!

Love, Rodney

So I was standing tonight at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to show up. And I was doing that, I noticed that the buses on this route use special bus lanes for a portion of the way. The signals didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I am sure they made sense to the bus driver. And I began thinking about how some signals are so clear once you know the code. And that led me to ask: What does it take to understand signals?

Back at Ranch Fleminggatan 77, it seems that after a lot of confusion, the signals are becoming clearer and easier to understand.

While in another part of Europe, someone who usually sends out unclear signals, sent a strong signal of their own. Only the person on the receiving end didn’t think the signal was all that clear.

Still across the pond, a work colleague ponders a major decision, and thus, the singals they were guided by for so long — just changed.

And then I am coming to realise. The funny thing about signals is how they mean different things to different people, and how they mean different things at different times.

Maybe the clearest single we send is that we’re willing to work to understand the different signals everyone gives us to interpret.